Welcome to Entry & Exit — the new Owned and Operated series for builders in the security & life-safety world. Hosts Stephen Olmon and Collin Trimble share how they grew Alarm Masters from under $2M to ~3× revenue, including +50% RMR growth in Year 1.From recurring revenue (RMR) to acquisitions and organic growth, this episode breaks down what it really takes to scale a security business — and eventually position it for a successful exit.✨ What You’ll Learn-The 3 revenue pillars (Install, Service, RMR) and target margins
- Why buying monitoring accounts opens doors to 5 scopes (cameras, access, fire, intercom, PA)
- The coffee/taco drop strategy that keeps customers sticky & cross-sold
- How Alarm Masters went from 1st deal → 4 acquisitions → $6M+ in just 2 years
- Lessons on hiring, ops leadership, and competing with the national giants
- What buyers look for when evaluating your business (RMR %, retention, service cadence)
⏱️ Chapters02:07 The Journey of Alarm Masters06:00 Understanding the Security and Alarm Industry23:56 The Acquisition Rollercoaster28:19 Innovative Strategies for Growth🔗 ConnectStephen Olmon — [http://x.com/stephenolmon] Collin Trimble — [https://x.com/TXAlarmGuy] Owned and Operated — [https://www.ownedandoperated.com/]
